Universality is a biting novel exploring the world of journalism, popular thought, and power through very different lenses. A young journalist writes an exposé after a man is bludgeoned with a gold bar at an illegal party on a farm, and her viral piece changes not just her life, but those of others involved, including a middle-aged columnist.

The book unfolds in distinct sections: firstly, and perhaps most notably, it features the fictional long read article about the situation with the gold bar and the people involved; then, a chapter following the article's writer as she holds a dinner party for her friends from university, and then other perspectives, ending with the columnist who gave the journalist the tip in the first place, as her incendiary career is revitalised and she is appearing at a literary festival. Due to this structure, it is quite disjointed and isn't structured as one story, but instead more like interlinking snippets that must be read in conjunction. This is clever, and they're all carefully written, but it does mean that you don't really get much from any individual character's story, as it is more about ideas and the satire of class and wealth and what people say.

I loved Brown's debut Assembly and I think that Universality is a wry piece of literary fiction that tries to shine a light on the current state of the British media, as depressing as that is. I loved how the first section was just a long article, and I like the idea of using the rest of the novel to present what sits underneath a viral article, but I didn't find the later parts as effective for me personally because they had to be more like snippets with character types rather than narratives that came together.

I loved this. It was an intense but intriguing read. I will definitely be picking up more of Natasha’s work!

What an absolutely brilliant way to prove yourself as more than a one hit wonder. Universality gave me everything I felt was missing from Natasha Brown's debut, and more.

It is a bitingly British takedown of every inch of the political quadrant, and a truly insightful look into the part that journalists play in the shaping of our national psyche. Every character gives you reason to hate them, yet you find yourself reasoning with them on every page.

Lenny, the right-wing columnist who is paid handsomely by the word for decrying affirmative action and the woke agenda, is deliciously wicked, and the joy in her character lies in the inability to ever truly understand her motivations.

In short, Universality shines like gold.

Universality strives towards something it doesn't quite reach. There are many very clever ideas and insights about wealth, class, racism and the state of the world but these are often written as dialogues which fall into long polemics bogging down the narrative.
I enjoyed the first third of the book but I think that readers may find the three very distinct parts of the novel feel quite disjointed and that the characters are unlikable and unsympathetic. There's no doubt that Natasha Brown is a very talented writer and I would be interested to read her previous novel after hearing its praise.
My thanks to the Faber and Netgalley for an advance review copy.

A short but punchy novel of an unusual crime and the quirky cast of characters caught up in its orbit. Though her latest didn’t grip me like Assembly did, it’s impossible to deny Brown’s talent and wit. Best to read in one or two sittings to really get into the swing of the story. I enjoyed the ‘long read’ article style of the novel’s first portion.

Having loved ASSEMNLY, I was intrigued to read UNIVERSALITY. I found the first half so engaging and interesting and loved the way Brown had framed an unreliable narrator but also someone who was clearly just slightly out of their depth. To finish with that debate was like watching a tennis match against Serena Williams and an umpire.

Universality by Natasha Brown explores issues of class, race and diversity , sexism, politics and capitalism and our society.